Speaker of the House John Boehner is calling it quits in October, but don’t expect the Ohio Congressman to leave without a fight.
After a shocking caucus meeting this morning full of tears and sympathy for the departing Speaker, Boehner will now likely attempt to use the last of his remaining political capital to avoid a government shutdown.
That means contrary to the wishes of the House Freedom Caucus and other House Conservatives, Planned Parenthood would receive full funding.
The Planned Parenthood controversy has continued to rage after a series of videos exposing the outlet was released.
Ever since, the cries to defund the controversial group have grown louder and louder, undoubtedly a key reason Boehner has been in the hot seat more than ever lately.
Another hot topic in the halls of the House: the Import/Export Bank. One leading Dem says Boehner wants it passed.
“I think, in my discussions with the Speaker, that he believes that it ought to pass because I think he believes that it’s costing us jobs and economic opportunities,” said Steny Hoyer.
Just like Planned Parenthood funding, Conservatives vehemently oppose funding the controversial Ex/Im Bank-they believe it is pretty much a corporate welfare check and not the proper purpose of government.
Where will Boehner go from here? Many believe the Speaker will take a prominent role in the Presidential campaign of Jeb Bush.
Speaker Boehner was a strong advocate for Bush to jump in the race, and also has close personal ties to the Bush family. A surrogate role on behalf of Bush makes a lot of sense, and the Speaker could also help the former Florida Governor with fundraising.
According to The Hill: “It’s been a yearlong courtship, but no one quite knows if it will pay off.”
For the past year, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has been wooing his longtime friend Jeb Bush to jump into the 2016 presidential race, even as he has shunned potential Tea Party rivals like Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Boehner stepped up his lobbying efforts this week, singing the former Florida governor’s praises in a pair of media interviews.
The Speaker’s preference for yet another Bush White House run is partly political, partly personal. He sees Bush as undeniably the strongest, most viable candidate who could pull the party together after a bruising primary and take on a formidable Hillary Clinton, sources said. And the two men are aligned politically, hailing from the same centrist strand of the GOP.
But politics is often personal, and much of Boehner’s desire for a third Bush presidency stems from his decades-long relationship with the Bush family, including Jeb.
No one knows how things will shake out in the coming weeks, but make no mistake-John Boehner doesn’t want to end his reign as Speaker with a government shutdown, and a role in the Bush campaign is a natural fit for the Ohio Congressman when he leaves D.C.
